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The differences between sterile technicians and sterilization specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a sterile technician and a sterilization specialist. Additionally, a sterilization specialist has an average salary of $57,057, which is higher than the $35,347 average annual salary of a sterile technician.
The top three skills for a sterile technician include patients, aseptic technique and patient care. The most important skills for a sterilization specialist are OSHA, autoclaves, and AAMI.
| Sterile Technician | Sterilization Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $35,347 | $57,057 |
| Hourly rate | $16.99 | $27.43 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 30,250 | 4,372 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 27% | Bachelor's Degree, 33% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Sterile technicians and sterilization specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Sterile Technician | Sterilization Specialist | |
| Average salary | $35,347 | $57,057 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $44,000 | Between $38,000 And $83,000 |
| Highest paying City | Daly City, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | - |
| Best paying company | Zoetis | - |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | - |
There are a few differences between a sterile technician and a sterilization specialist in terms of educational background:
| Sterile Technician | Sterilization Specialist | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 27% | Bachelor's Degree, 33% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Boston University |
Here are the differences between sterile technicians' and sterilization specialists' demographics:
| Sterile Technician | Sterilization Specialist | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 32.9% Female, 67.1% | Male, 42.3% Female, 57.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 9.3% White, 55.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% | Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 20.8% Asian, 9.1% White, 53.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |